Sonoko Suzuki and Eleven Encounters With the Female Characters of DC
by Akakata7
Summary: There were several people Sonoko had met that had impacted her life. They were all female (she didn't tend to take advice from any men she knew; especially if they were Sherlock Holmes fans) – they were strong independent and all clever in their own, unique way. She admired every single one of them for a particular lesson each one had taught her. Written for Secret Santa at DCW.


**Sonoko and Eleven Encounters with the Female Characters of DC  
**

There were several people Sonoko had met that had impacted her life. They were all female (she didn't tend to take advice from any men she knew; especially if they were Sherlock Holmes fans) – they were strong independent and all clever in their own, unique way. Not that she would admit it openly about all of them, but she admired every single one of them for a particular lesson each one had taught her.

* * *

**Ran Mouri – Patience**

Ran had always been Sonoko best friend. They grew up together (along with Shinichi, of course) and had done everything together. They were attached at the hip. She often had to ask for help from her friend, particularly with homework. Ran would laugh, reprimand her, and then proceed to hand her work over. Sonoko loved her dearly.

_"Hey, Ran?"_

_"Yeah, Sonoko?"_

_She balanced her pencil between her upper lip and her nose, watching it teeter totter back and forth a few times. It fell onto her lap after a moment, and she sighed. "How can you keep waiting for Kudou-kun for so long?"_

_Ran paused, her blue eyes dilating just the slightest fraction. She had this faraway look in her eyes, and brought her hand to her chest, resting it above where her heart was. "Because I promised him I would wait."_

_She frowned. "What if… What if he doesn't come back?"_

_"He will," was the immediate reply without a trace of hesitation, filled with absolutely certainty. "But even if it takes forever, I'll be waiting."_

_Sonoko then took the liberty to tease her friend of her cheesiness to lighten the mood, but in truth, she couldn't comprehend Ran's words. Maybe it was just the fact she didn't have a person that special to her, or maybe it was because she didn't have her own Shinichi who she was hopelessly to love with and constantly disappeared._

_Or maybe it was just Ran._

* * *

**Kazuha Toyama – Chastity**

Sonoko met Kazuha through Ran. The three of them were good friends; they were quite the trio. She loved to spend time with both of them and often held sleepovers at her place. Sonoko didn't know exactly a lot about Kazuha, but knew enough to like her. She did get the idea that she was in a similar situation as Ran and liked her childhood friend, who was also a high school detective. (She pitied them.)

_The three girls laughed. They were exchanging stories about experiences with their childhood friends and just how ridiculous high school detectives were._

_"Ah, sorry." Ran giggled, standing up. "I have to use the restroom. I'll be back in a few minutes!"_

_Kazuha and Sonoko waved and vocalized their farewell. The remaining two of their trio lay there, on the floor, resting comfortably on their sleeping bags._

_The Osakan girl held her cell phone up in the dimmed light, staring at the dangling charm from the device with a satisfied smile on her face. Sonoko noticed._

_"Oh? What's that, Kazuha-chan?" She stared at it too._

_"This?" The other girl blushed and immediately brought the phone down once again. "Nothing really!"_

_Her interest was now piqued. Sonoko could tell there was a story behind this. And, of course, being her lovely, nosy self, Sonoko wanted to know all of the details. She sat up, leaning closer eagerly. "Tell me!"_

_"W-Well…"_

_That was easy. She could see Kazuha's defenses breaking down. "Please~?"_

_"It's just a charm I made!"_

_"And," she ventured gingerly, probing for more information, "doesn't Hattori-kun have one just like it?"_

_More blushing. Sonoko grinned, victorious. "Y-Yeah, I made that one too."_

_"So when are you going to declare your love for him~?" She was blunt, and straight to the point. That made it easier in pinning down her prey; it wasn't easy to avoid such a straight forward question._  
_"Sonoko-chan!" Kazuha exclaimed in utter surprise, flustered._

_Her grin widened, easily evolving into a gleeful smirk. "No way! You did?!"_

_"…Yeah. But he didn't hear me!" She quickly added, almost defensively, looking down at the phone and its charm in her lap._

_Sonoko's amused expression turned sour and she frowned. "He didn't hear you? Seriously?" What was with these ignorant high school detectives? They were supposed to be able to deduce everything, right? Apparently love wasn't included in "everything"._

_"No… He was too caught up with something else."_

_Sonoko fumed. "Bastard!"_

_"He's not really that bad!" Kazuha defended her childhood friend, almost glaring at Sonoko. She quieted after a moment, as if realizing how worked up she was. "Really."_

_She was taken aback, not expecting that. "If you say so…" But then again, childhood friends were quite typically defensive of each other, and had a bond Sonoko couldn't quite understand. She was envious of this particular bond, but not envious of the heartbreak that seemed to accompany it._

_The other girl nodded, looking forlorn and even solemn. "I'll tell him again some other time."_

_Sonoko admired Kazuha's understanding, and wished she had the ability to feel like that about someone else._

* * *

**Ayumi Yoshida – Innocence**

There's not much to be said about Ayumi. Sonoko knew her as to be the little girl who was friends with the brat (AKA Conan). She was sweet, and of course, had a childlike charm she was slightly jealous of.

The thing that most stood out about Ayumi to Sonoko was her obvious crush on Conan. It was cute, in a way, and she explicitly remembers the day she confronted the younger girl about her feelings.  
_  
"Hey, kid."_

_Ayumi looked up at Sonoko, her head tilted cutely to the side, curious. Her face was red from the cold and her usual headband wasn't visible, because of the warm hat she had sitting upon her head, a pair of earmuffs wrapped snugly around her neck. "Yes, Sonoko-neechan?"_

_"You like the brat, don't you?" She nodded her head to gesture at Conan, who was standing several feet away. He was with Ran, who was tittering over him, and making sure he was prepared to venture out in the snow on that cold winter day with his coat, hat, mittens, and scarf – the works. She was leaning towards the idea that Conan would suffer from being too hot and sweaty than from freezing to death when Ran was done with him._

_If it was possible, Ayumi's face turned a darker shade of red. "W-What do you mean?"_

_Sonoko was not impressed. She couldn't have been even more specific if she had tried. She kneeled down, so her face was right besides the other girl's. "I'm asking if you have a crush on Edogawa-kun."_

_"…Yes, I like him," she admitted quietly. Then, a moment after, she quickly added, "Don't tell anyone! Especially Ai-chan!"_

_"Oh? A love triangle?" Sonoko teased, her tone holding something similar to as if she was gossiping about some sort of scandalous affair._

_"Ah—No, uhm…" Ayumi searched for the right words to remedy the situation, but couldn't seem to find them._

_She remained squatted, balancing herself so she didn't fall. "Don't worry, kid, you can tell me anything." She just wanted to know all of the juicy details now. She didn't really think the kids were too young to be in love, and believed that love could come in all shapes and forms._

_A small sigh. "Well, it's just… Ai-chan and Conan-kun are so smart and mature and adult like and they're always off together alone!" The words came rambling out of nowhere, all said in one breath._

_"Ho… Is that so?"_

_Ayumi nodded, a sad expression taking over her features. "Yes, and it bothers me sometimes. But… Conan-kun is so brave and clever… Why wouldn't she like him?"_

_To Sonoko, Ai didn't seem to be the type of girl to have childish crushes like Ayumi, but that was just from her point of view. And besides, Ayumi seemed oblivious to the apparent crushes Genta and Mitsuhiko had on her. (Sonoko had seen them glancing at her longingly more than often enough. Or glaring at Conan whenever Ayumi swooned over him.) "You don't know unless you ask her, right?"_

_Ayumi hesitated, looking torn. "But…"_

_"Hey, you can do whatever you want, kid, I'm just offering my advice."_

_"Thanks, Sonoko-neechan," she smiled, genuinely grateful, "I'll think about it!"_

_"Ayumi! Come on, let's go!" The brat beckoned the girl over, Ran finally finished fretting over him._

_"Oh! See you later, Neechan!" She ran off to join him, already happily chatting with him._

_Sonoko stood up as she watched her go, smiling. She felt nostalgic, seeing Shinichi and Ran as they were younger. She still remembered the days back when she had been oblivious about life and was carefree._

_She still remembered the time when she had been innocent as an elementary school student._

* * *

**Ai Haibara – Adaptability**

Sonoko had never met a girl like Ai. Not in elementary school, at least. She could not remember ever knowing a child as mature as her when she was that age. She was responsible, quiet, cold and rather introverted. It was interesting in a way, but she was sort of creeped out at the same time. It was very strange. And during the times she had try to converse with the girl on friendly terms, well, it hadn't been the best conversations she's ever had.

_"Soooo… Do you like shopping?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What kind of shopping?"_

_"Clothes shopping."_

_"…Right."_

_Sonoko sighed. The two girls were sitting on opposite couches, and the smaller one was flipping through a magazine. The atmosphere was a bit tense between the two of them, and Sonoko was doing the best she could to fix the situation, but it wasn't working out very well. Professor Agasa had asked her to stay with Ai while he ran off to run a few errands. She found it strange, especially since the girl seemed perfectly capable of staying by herself. But she also seemed slightly on edge for some reason, but she had no idea why._

_"…Is there something wrong?" She asked, still staring at Ai._

_"No."_

_"…I see…"_

_Silence again._

_"Uh… Do you have any family?" Sonoko was searching for anything to ease the silence, besides the turning of pages. She loathed silence. The first topic that came into mind was regarding family. She had always been curious if the girl had any elder siblings. "Siblings or something?"_

_"…" Here, there was a briefest moment of hesitation. "An older sister." Another page was flipped._

_Success! "Do you see her often?"_

_"…No. She's gone."_

_As much as she disliked somber and serious conversations, she disliked silence even more. Sonoko took a moment to muse about exactly what the girl meant. Gone? As in, dead? She frowned. That was terrible… She couldn't imagine what it would be like without her sister. "…I'm sorry."_

_"You shouldn't be. It's not like it was your fault." There it was. Confirmation on her suspicions. And again, the maturity this girl possessed… She was pretty impressed. Sonoko didn't know why. She was not one to usually care about such things. Then it hit her._

_Maybe her sister's death was exactly why Ai was so mature. Yes! That had to be it. To cope with the situation, she had to have matured and evolved into an adult rather quickly and was missing her childhood because of it. It was too terrible._

_Sonoko stood up. "That's it. We're going to the mall."_

_Ai looked up, almost in surprise. "Eh?"_

_"We're going to shop until we drop!" She declared, her purse hanging snugly from her right shoulder. "Come on, let's go!" She held out a hand for Ai to take._

_The girl seemed to study her expression for a moment, as if asking her if she was serious. Then she set down her magazine on the wooden coffee table in front of her, and took the teenager's hand. "…Okay."_

_Maybe Sonoko had imagined it, but she could've sworn she saw the faintest hit of a smile on Ai's face._

* * *

**Jodie Starling – Forgiveness**

Sonoko had always liked her English teacher, Jodie-sensei. She was fun, interesting, and a spunky woman. She was, in a way, a role model to Sonoko, and she always found it nice to just talk with her. She hadn't seen the FBI agent since she had been shot, retired from being Ran's and her English teacher, and returned to America until several months later when she spotted her on the street.

_"Jodie-sensei! Is that you?!" Sonoko cried happily, spying a familiar head of blonde hair. Her former teacher stood out, being a foreigner, even on the busy streets._

_The woman turned around, and indeed, it was Jodie. She smiled widely, recognizing the girl. "Ah, Suzuki-san! It has been a while~."_  
_Sonoko nearly knocked the both of them over as she hugged her. "How have you been?"_

_"Good, good!" The two words were spoken in English, probably from habit. "And yourself?"_

_"Good!" She said, in English, as if to repeat after her teacher like it was before. She smiled. She switched back to Japanese for her next sentence. "I was just going to the coffee shop! Do you want to come with me~?"_

_There was just a small moment of hesitation, but the smile quickly returned. "Sure! A cup of coffee sounds nice!"_

_And so, the two happily made their way to the nearby coffee shop, which just so happened to be the one beneath the Mouri Detective Agency. They were welcomed and seated by Azusa, the usual waitress. After they had ordered their drinks, Sonoko began questioning the FBI agent, eager to know just what has been occurring in her life._

_"So, what are you doing back in Japan?"_

_"Oh, just a holiday," she replied, her eyes betraying nothing. Sonoko wasn't quite sure if she believed her, but she went along with it. "I missed Japan very much!"_

_Sonoko had a question she had been wondering for a while, in fact, ever since she had found out that Jodie was an agent, so she changed the subject. "Jodie-sensei?"_

_"Yes, Suzuki-san?"_

_"Can FBI agents have relationships~?"_

_Jodie gave her a strange look. "Of course they can."_

_Here, Sonoko gained a devious glint in her eye. "So do you?"_

_She raised her eyebrow, perhaps pondering if she should even answer her. Azusa returned with the pair's drinks, distributed them, and left once more. Jodie and Sonoko both thanked her, before returning to the subject. "I used to."_

_"'Used'…?" She trailed off, encouraging her to continue. She wouldn't pry if Jodie wouldn't tell her, but now she was curious._

_"Yes. With a fellow agent." She seemed to get a faraway look in her eyes, and she stirred her coffee with the thin, red and white straw slowly._

_"If… If you don't mind me asking, Jodie-sensei, what happened?"_

_"Well, for a mission, he was to woo another woman. At that point, we were in a relationship with each other. But, you see, he was the type of man who refused to be in a relationship with two women at the same time, so he broke it off with me." The words held no bitterness, much to Sonoko's surprise._

_"What? But wasn't it just a fake relationship?" She exclaimed, not able to believe it. "What a jerk!" She probably had no right to say that, not knowing what the mission was exactly, and judging just from what she heard._

_"Oh no, he is the completely opposite from a 'jerk'," Jodie laughed, almost amused. "He saved me, after all. I owe him my life. And a mission is a mission; I can't hold a grudge against him for such a thing. Although, in the end, I suspect he may have held feelings for the woman."_

_It was Sonoko's turn to give Jodie a strange look. She didn't understand. How could Jodie forgive him so easily? Especially for actually falling for the girl. "So you're still friends?"_

_"…Not exactly," Her voice grew quiet, and solemn. Sonoko immediately knew something terrible had happened to the man. "He's… passed on now."_

_"…Oh, I'm so sorry," Sonoko said. She was such an idiot. Jodie looked as if she was about to tear up, just from thinking about it. She felt terrible._

_"No, no, it's fine," Jodie wiped away a few nonexistent tears, as if making sure they didn't even have a chance to form. "But he was a great man. One of the best agents."_

_Sonoko was never able to forget how her former English teacher had been able to forgive the unnamed man for falling in love with another woman during a mission._

* * *

**Ayako Suzuki – Cherishment**

Sonoko loved her sister dearly. She loved all of her family, but she loved he sister dearly. She enjoyed spending time around the elder girl, and surprisingly they got along well. One would normally suspect the two of them wouldn't get along at all, especially being from a rich family, but it was not the case for the Suzuki sisters.

_Sonoko knocked on Ayako's door. It was about time she visited her sister, especially to see how she was doing married to her husband. She had decided it was her duty to make sure she was happy with the man she had chosen. She waited a few moments on the doorstep until the door opened._

_"Sonoko!" Ayako greeted, smiling widely. "Nice to see you!"_

_"Ayako-neesan!" Sonoko hugged her sister. "I missed you!"_

_"I missed you too." She patted her back, before releasing her and holding the door open. "Please, come in!"_

_"Thank you!" Sonoko slipped her shoes off, and put a pair of slippers on instead._

_"Would you like something to drink?"_

_"No, I'm fine, but thanks."_

_"You're welcome. Shall we head into the living room, then?"_

_"Sure!" She followed Ayako to the room, and they settled comfortably onto the white couch. She glanced about the room to see if everything was in order; it was. Impeccably neat, in fact, she couldn't find a single thing out of place. "So, how has your husband been~?"_

_"Yuzo's been very well!" She said. Sonoko searched for any signs of abuse, or unhappiness on her sister's expression._

_"Is that so? He hasn't been mean to you, or anything?" Sonoko questioned, completely serious._

_"Of course not!" Ayako exclaimed, a disapproving tone entering her voice. "Sonoko, why would you even think that?"_

_"I just want to make sure my sister is happy and that he didn't marry you just because of our money!"_

_Ayako sighed. "Sonoko, dear, I love Yuzo. He didn't marry me because of my wealth, or our family's status. I am very lucky to have him."_

_Sonoko was not quite convinced, but did not say anything. But her sister's words made her think about marriage. It was a serious thing, and one that usually lasted forever. If she was to marry, she had to be absolutely certain she loved the person, and it was not for anything else but love._

_And when she did find that special someone, she would be lucky to have them._

* * *

**Aoko Nakamori – Acceptance**

The first time Sonoko ever met Aoko Nakamori was at a Kaitou Kid heist. She had accidentally mistaken the girl for Ran – for some reason, they looked uncannily alike. It was like how Shinichi and Conan looked extremely similar. It was weird. But the two managed to spend a bit of time together, and Sonoko had come to appreciate the girl's company.

_"Sooo… Are you a fan of Kid-sama?" Sonoko asked, after a moment. It had been a bit of an awkward silence after the two had introduced themselves to each other after Sonoko had accidentally thought Aoko had been Ran._

_"Kid?! As if!" Aoko retorted. "I despise him."_

_"What?! Why?!" Sonoko couldn't believe her ears. How could anyone hate Kid? He was awesome!_

_"My dad is Inspector Ginzo Nakamori," she began to explain, after a brief pause. "Kid is always showing my dad up, and making him look like a fool."_

_She didn't quite understand. Her uncle was constantly made a fool of by Kid, but she had no problem with it. Then again, her uncle was rich and doing it for a hobby, not for his job. "…I see."_

_"But I hope we can still be friends!" Aoko quickly said, smiling at the other girl. "Just because we have opposing views of Kid…"_

_"Of course!" Sonoko was surprised she hadn't seen Aoko at a heist before. They both seemed to go rather frequently. "I would love to."_

_"Great!" The girl looked happy. Sonoko smiled._

_She would have thought that Aoko would have shunned her for her love of Kid, and ignored her. But instead, she had accepted her, and wanted to be friends._

_Sonoko wished there were more people like Aoko in the world._

* * *

**Sera Masumi – Determination**

Sonoko had quickly adjusted to having Sera around with her and Ran. It was like she was a new Shinichi – she was also a high school detective, after all, but she was female (much to her surprise). She still remembered the first time she had mistaken Sera for a groper. It had been quite a shock to see her at Teitan High, but not an unwelcome one. It seemed she was originally from America, and one day, Sonoko decided she wanted to know more.

_"Sera-chan, I have a question~." Sonoko sat in the seat facing the girl, who was stuffing her face with food from her packed lunch. She had already eaten, and Ran was busy with something else that particular day._

_"Yes?" Quickly, Sera swallowed her food, pressing the two points of her chopsticks on her lips._

_"Why did you come to Japan? I mean, it seems interesting to suddenly move from America, y'know?"_

_"Ah, well," she took a bite of her rice. "I used to live in Japan, but moved to America three years ago with my family, but we left my older brother behind." She smiled, her eyes narrowing in determination. "I haven't seen him throughout those three years, and I'm determined to find him."_

_That was interesting. "Do you have any leads? Being a high school detective, you should be able to find him pretty easily, huh?"_  
_Sera shrugged with a sigh. "Maybe. That's what I was hoping, but now, I'm not too sure. But I'll definitely find him in the end, no matter what."_

_"Good luck~!" Sera thanked her, and she watched as the girl returned to eating her food._

_Sonoko had never seen such willpower and determination to find someone before. But then again, she lived a relatively comfortable life, and had never had any need to find someone before. She knew if she hadn't seen her sister in three years, she'd be trying to hunt her down too._

_It was pretty inspiring._

* * *

**Akako Koizumi – Charisma**

Sonoko was not sure she believed in magic. Or well, maybe she liked to think she did, since she enjoyed Kaitou Kid's magic, but that was different. That was the sort of magician entertainment magic. Magic being genuinely _realwas unheard of to Sonoko, and she couldn't believe it when she met Akako._

_Sonoko had been enjoying the warm, summer air as she headed home from school. It was the last day of school before break, and she was ready to go home and relax. But she was about midway home when she had been stopped._

_"You there."_

_Sonoko glanced around at the strong, woman's voice that was suddenly heard. "Me?"_

_"Yes, you. Come here."_

_She looked around one more moment and saw a small table set up on the side of the road, in the front of a building. There was a floating crystal orb, and a person wearing a cloak stood behind it. Sonoko was slightly creeped out, but approached the person nonetheless. She (?) seemed to be a fortune teller._

_"I sense that you wish for love in your life."_

_Sonoko blinked. "Doesn't everyone?"_

_"No."_

_"…" She was not quite certain how to reply._

_"Oho. You wish for Kaitou Kid's heart to be yours as well?" The voice of the cloaked woman (?) took a tone of amusement._

_"…Sort of?" It's not like she wanted to possess him, though. This was getting weirder and weirder. Maybe she should just walk away while she still could._

_"How interesting. Ohohoho~!" High-pitched laughter emanated from the woman (?) beneath the cloak. "But alas, his heart shall be mine. All men are to be my slaves, after all!"_

_"…'Slaves'?" Sonoko knew she should make a break for it. But she couldn't help but be curious at the word 'slaves'. (Yes, she was a terrible person.)_

_"Indeed! I am the heir to the Scarlet Arts, Akako Koizumi! I am a witch, my dear mortal, and I am able to charm all men to do my bidding."_

_"Just how old are you?"_

_Promptly, the hood of the cloak was drawn away, and the most beautiful girl Sonoko had ever seen came into view._

_She was probably around the same age as Sonoko, in high school, with long, magenta hair. It seemed to be in perfect condition. She had unmarred, pale skin, and piercing red eyes. She looked like she belonged in Hollywood. She was simply gorgeous. Sonoko would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous._

_"Have you not ever heard of not asking a lady of her age?" Akako sniffed, as if irritated._

_"Of course I have," she retorted. "So… What do you mean witch and slaves? Are you crazy?"_

_"How rude!" The self-proclaimed 'witch' exclaimed. "I was being completely honest (for once) and you did not believe me? Ugh. Mortals."_

_Sonoko didn't really know what to make of this, so she began to walk away._

_Akako watched her go. "What an ungrateful, disgusting little mortal."_

_But a moment later, Sonoko was standing in front of the table once again. "I have a question."_

_"And?"_

_Sonoko ignored the girl's sarcastic tone. "Are you a seductress?"_

_She could have almost sworn she heard Akako purr. "Why yes, I am~."_

_"How do you do it?"_

_"Do what?"_

_"Seduce men," she said, rolling her eyes._

_"Various spells, of course," replied Akako, without batting an eye. "As well as charisma and charm. They are very important factors. You must be confident."_

_"Charisma?" What the girl had described so far most definitely sounded like charisma. Except in an extremely creepy way._

_"Indeed, my dear mortal. You must be able to exercise control over other mortals, by charming them. It is quite simple."_

_"Right, right. Well, I'm just going to walk away and pretend this never happened."_

_"If you wish to do so, my dear mortal, then go right ahead."_

_And so, Sonoko found herself walking away from Akako Koizumi once again, her words still echoing in her mind. And despite her strongest wishes to actually forget that she was ever stopped by Akako never came true. Her advice about charisma continued to remain in her head, and she often thought about it. She never able to completely erase the thought from her head, and it actually came to be useful at later times._

_(She may or may not have tried to use charisma around Kaitou Kid and promptly reminded him of a certain witch and therefore scared the hell out of him. Akako, to say in the least, was incredibly amused that night.)_

* * *

**The Mysterious Woman (Akemi Miyano) – Kindness**

Sonoko had once been walking alone after dark, heading home. It had been nearly pitch black except for the street lights, and it had been pouring. She was freezing, and still had a ways to go before she reached her home, but she had to make it. She was saved by a mysterious woman she had never seen before that night.

_It was a dark and stormy night._

_Literally. Sonoko was cold. Her jacket was drenched, and she was unable to warm herself. She had foolishly not checked the weather that morning and hadn't an umbrella on her person. She still had several blocks until she made it to her home, and just her luck, her cell phone's battery had died. Sonoko sneezed. Oh great, she was catching a cold._

_All of a sudden though, an umbrella came above her, and shielded her from the unrelenting rain._

_"Are you alright?" A quiet voice inquired from beside her. Sonoko turned to see a rather petite woman with long, straight brown hair reaching to a little above her waist next to her. She was wearing a black coat, and her eyes were filled with genuine concern for her._

_She tried to smile, but her teeth were chattering too much. "I-I'm f-f-fine…"_

_The woman frowned, and she took Sonoko's hands with one of her own, rubbing them together quickly, trying to warm them up. After a moment, she took the hands and wrapped them securely around the umbrella handle. "Here."_

_"W-What? No, I can't accept this—" Sonoko tried to protest._

_"Yes, you can," The woman now smiled. But it wasn't a fake smile – it was warm, kind and compassionate. This stranger she had never seen before wanted her to take her umbrella in the middle of a rain storm at night._

_"I really can't—"_

_But, as suddenly as she had appeared, the woman had suddenly disappeared. Sonoko glanced around wildly, looking for her, but she was gone._

_"…Thank you." She tentatively said into the night, hoping the woman could've somehow heard her over the loud dripping of the rain, but she doubted it._

_Sonoko would never forget that act of kindness the mysterious woman had shown her. It touched upon her heart unlike anything else ever had. She would be eternally grateful, and hoped she was still doing well now._

* * *

**Chris Vineyard (Vermouth) – Secrecy**

One time, Sonoko had the honor of meeting Chris Vineyard, Sharon Vineyard's daughter. She was a famous actress, and Sonoko found her to be quite amazing. She had accidentally stumbled upon her on the busy streets, and had recognized her.

_"Oh, sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going—" Sonoko abruptly stopped, staring in awe. "Y-You… You're—!"_

_Chris Vineyard stood in front of her, clothed entirely in black, and wearing sunglasses despite it being a rather dark day out. A simple silver necklace hung around her neck, and a charm that seemed to be in the shape of a bullet (also silver) hung from it. Slyly, the woman pressed her index finger against Sonoko's lips._

_"A secret makes a woman, woman."_

_With a smirk and a wink, the woman vanished into the crowds around her. Sonoko could only sit there, wondering exactly what had just happened. People began to stop and ask if she was okay._

_After that fateful meeting, Sonoko concluded that hearing her famous quote in person was much different than simply hearing a recording of it._

* * *

_Written for Secret Santa at Detective Conan World.  
__  
Author's Note: My apologies. I was going to include Yukiko and Eri, but I simply didn't have the muse. (And I forgot Satou and Yumi and Yoko and augh. I'm a terrible person. ;w; ) Well, I hope you enjoyed!  
__  
(Please also disregard how Sonoko was basically trusted with almost all of the characters' secrets. I highly doubt they would have told her so easily (Sera, Ai, Jodie, etc... They would definitely NOT have said anything), but... For the sake of the plot!)_

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


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